Quick Devotional from 1 Thessalonians 5:5 (Observation from the Greek)

Our text is from the Greek translation of 1 Thessalonians 5:5. Here is my translation:

“SUPPORT 5 ‹✓ [TP πάντες γὰρ ὑμεῖς TP] υἱοὶ φωτός ἐστε καὶ υἱοὶ ἡμέρας ✓›For all of you are sons of light and sons of day

SENTENCE ‹✕ οὐκ ἐσμὲν νυκτὸςYou are not night

ELABORATION οὐδὲ σκότους ✕›”nor darkness

Here are some observations:

In the context of the chapter Paul was talking about the Day of the Lord (v.2) which involves God judging sinners. This truth should be of concern for those who are sinning since “destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains” (v.3). Paul has also added that “they will not escape” (v.3).

This truth might make some of the believers afraid of God. Here in 1 Thessalonians 5:5 Paul wants to assure believers.

The way Paul assures believers is by appealing to the new identity of those who have trusted in Jesus Christ to saved them from God’s Wrath. The Day of the Lord will not overtake them (v.4). Why? In verse 5 the “For” indicates the reason why. It is because of who they are: “all of you are sons of light and sons of day.”

Notice the two description with the first being “you are sons of light.”

Paul wants to emphasize this is true of all believers reading when he wrote “all of you are“

Paul describes believers being sons of light. I don’t have time to go over this fully but the construct of “son of…” often show the characteristic of the one who is the “son.” Thus believers are described as light as opposed to darkness (v.4) which here in the context darkness has to do with evil and sin.

Believers are also described as “sons of day”

This is oppose to those who will be judged and still in their sins who are described as being in the night (v.3, 5, 7).

Again being a “son of…” shows the characteristics of the person. Thus believers are godly.

The verb “are” in the Greek is in the indicative mood. That is telling us this is what believers factually are, and not something the believers conditionally might be…because of works righteousness. It is the work of God’s grace we are sons not because of our work. God declares us to be son when we are saved!

The second half of this verse denies what they are not: “You are not night nor darkness.” This is the opposite of what they are which is described in the first half of the verse.

Yet this is not accomplished by a person’s self-righteous works. It is the work of God in bringing about our salvation. Note how the subject is God doing the action in 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10a: “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us.” Our salvation was obtained by Christ on the Cross! Our basis for our identity being son of light and son of day is based upon the work of Christ. What good news!

Yet this reality of what God and Christ has done is not something we are bored with or be somehow spiritually stagnant or apathetic. There’s implication for life such as the exhortation “let us be alert and sober” (v.6) and “But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation“(v.8).

Application:

Do you know for sure you are saved from the wrath of God on the Day of the Lord? This is important, your whole eternity is based upon this. Consider again the truth we covered earlier; read it again prayerfully and read the Scriptures cited again.

If God has adopted you to be a Son of Light and Son of Day, does your life reflect the light of God or moral darkness instead?

In reflecting about your life and your identity and somehow you are convicted about your sins, go to God and confess of your shortcoming. Trust in the promise of 1 John 1:9. I’m convinced confession to God of our sins is the golden hidden key to true spiritual growth.

As seen in 1 Thessalonians 5:8 if we really are sons of light in our spiritual DNA we will live a certain way; have we been sober-minded?

Are you also on the alert to guard yourself from darkness? Read again 1 Thessalonians 5:6.

When Satan and sin comes to try to reclaim you under their slavery again, have you told Satan your new Spiritual Identity? Have you told sin that you are no longer its’ slave since you are now a child of the Light?

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22 Responses

Thanks for this quick devotional! Yes, praise God we are saved by His grace through faith in Christ alone and have become sons of light! But, as the Word also mentions and you point out, we are to be sober-minded as we journey through this temporal world. The witness of many believers has been neutralized because they became intoxicated with the world rather than soberly (and joyously) focusing on Christ.

As a result of your comment I wanted to add further clarity of the Gospel that we are saved by grace. So I added point number 4 which is this: “The verb “are” in the Greek is in the indicative mood. That is telling us this is what believers factually are, and not something the believers conditionally might be…because of works righteousness. It is the work of God’s grace we are sons not because of our work. God declares us to be son when we are saved!” Praise God for His grace Amen?

Thanks! Yes, praise Him for His grace! If my sonship was dependent on my obedience, I would be enormously discouraged (which is what happened after several years at the legalistic fundamentalist fellowship we first attended).

Thank you Hawk2017 for reading this devotional, for your thoughts in your comment and also for the reblog! For some reason I had to rescue your comment from my spambox but I’m glad I checked this morning! I’m glad you took Greek before as I imagine you appreciate these Greek devotional in a way that’s unique than for some. God bless you sister, be blessed!

Thank you for this devotional, Jim. It reminded me of an exchange I had (on a Christian site) with a young goth who was Christian. She claimed she was more comfortable in the darkness (which is a feeling I knew very well in my past). I told her that I knew how she felt, but sooner or later she will have to come into the light. Our correspondence on that site stopped abruptly so I don’t know if I was any help or not. I feel like if I had been more familiar of 1 Thessalonians 5:5 back then, perhaps I would have been a better witness to her.

I’m sure God used your conversation with her. I remember shepherding a few younger believers through this as well when I was younger, these were people in high school and college. Reading your comments made me think about it and also why I didn’t even use this verse. In fact I didn’t even think about the application of this verse to that issue until you brought it up! I”m glad you commented though as I imagine in the near future this will be a subject that will come up again since I minister and evangelize to a lot of young people. Thanks RG!